This is disturbing on a lot of levels, most of which you already know. I get all of my health care right now from Planned Parenthood and cannot afford to pay them for what they do for me. This is terrible.

But something else disturbs me. This is being talked about in the media as a womens’ health issue. And it is. But let us not forget that Planned Parenthood provides a lot of services to men as well. Here is their remarkably comprehensive service site for men. This is an issue about human services. It’s about reproductive health. Making it a womens issue, in my opinion, marginalizes it. It makes Planned Parenthood not only an easy target for the sexist lawmakers whose motivations are based in a disregard for women, but it also makes the story a focus piece for the vocal minority.

It’s not about women. It’s about reproduction. Reproductive rights is not a womens issue. It is all of our responsibility to be sexually healthy and educated. What the house did today is a blow to all of our rights and what the media is doing is putting that burden of loss on women.

Ok. That feels better. I really am, more than anything, upset that this got passed. I am happy it’s in the media at all. I just wish that whenever reproductive rights were on the line it didn’t immediately become a female dominated issue. We’re not the only ones responsible for making babies and spreading diseases.